Kingdom of Crowns and Glory Read online

  "I can't wait to see it. Is the water drinkable?"

  I shook my head. "It's been dried up for a long time as far as I can tell. I think that's why it's abandoned." I wasn't completely sure about that, but it was as good a guess as any. There had to be some reason that people aren't using it anymore.

  We reached the well half an hour later.

  "It's beautiful," he admitted, looking into the small clearing. When people had stopped coming here, the local plant life had come in, filling the ground with all kinds of foliage, and the insects buzzing around that were to be expected from them being there.

  "And peaceful," I added. "It's just the place for a picnic." I dropped the basket I'd been carrying to the ground.

  "How did you manage to scrounge up a picnic from the middle of an army camp?" His bemusement came through the question.

  Even so, he took off his cape and laid it on the ground, gesturing for me to take a seat on it.

  "Oh, I didn't. It's only our lunch rations packed into a basket." I wouldn't have wanted to take anything that wasn't due to us, even though I knew that anyone would give us it if I asked. Which was one of the many reasons I hadn't asked or shared my plans with anyone. Other than telling them I was leaving camp and was taking Jonathan with me as a guard. The last thing I wanted was to cause panic by disappearing.

  I pulled the bread, cheese, and dried meat out of the basket. It wasn't that far off what I'd have packed for a picnic anyway, which didn't make this too bad. I'd even managed to pack a bottle of weak ale.

  "This is lovely," Jonathan said, sitting down beside me.

  "It is. Thank you for coming with me. I needed some time away."

  "I know what you mean. It's exhausting to have so many people around all the time."

  "Especially when most of them are looking at you with the expectation that you'll be doing something. If I have to answer someone asking me what the plan is one more time, I might explode. I don't know why people haven't realised that I don't have one at all."

  "I guess that's what we're supposed to be as royalty though. People who have all the answers, especially in times of trouble like these."

  I sighed loudly. "I wish you weren't right."

  He chuckled. "But that doesn't mean all of our time is owed to those people. We need to take moments like these and take time for ourselves, especially when they're with people we enjoy spending time with."

  "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were flirting with me," I teased.

  "Perhaps I am. Though it'd be highly improper for the two of us to be spending time together alone like this. We'll be in trouble if anyone catches us." He wiggled his eyebrows.

  I laughed freely, only then noticing how close the two of us were, and how often my attention was being drawn to his lips.

  "Perhaps we should give them something to be truly scandalised by," I murmured.

  "Oh?" He raised his eyebrows. "What did you have in mind?"

  "Why don't I show you?" I licked my lips, unsure about how he was going to respond when I tried this.

  He leaned in. "I think I'd like that."

  I reached out and cupped his cheek in my hand. I drew his face to mine and pressed my lips against his.

  His hand threaded into my hair as he kissed me back, and I melted into him. I'd never have believed that I'd be doing this when he'd turned up at camp that first night, but now it felt right. He'd been there for me so much in the past few weeks, never pressuring me to be more than I was ready to be, and supporting me into becoming the queen I was supposed to be.

  We broke apart, each of us dazed by the intensity of our kiss.

  "That wasn't what I expected when you invited me on a picnic," he whispered.

  "What did you?" I frowned. Normally when a woman said she wanted to spend time with a man privately, there was a good reason for it.

  "Honestly? I figured you wanted some alone time and you'd ask me to stay back while you sat and ate."

  "Huh, I suppose that would have made sense, yes. But that wasn't my plan."

  Jonathan grinned. "For what it's worth, I like this plan better than the one I came up with.

  "Good." I leaned in to kiss him again, excitement spreading through me at the thought of Jonathan returning my budding feelings.

  Chapter 11

  I'd been almost skipping around the camp ever since Jonathan and I had returned from our picnic. We knew we had to be discreet while in camp for fear of anyone getting any ideas, but that didn't change the truth about what had happened.

  I brushed my fingers against my lips where they still tingled from his touch, even if we hadn't kissed for hours now. Sapphire bristled on my shoulder, warning me of someone's approach. I was glad for her attentiveness as apparently, I was now living in a world of my own and couldn't be trusted to keep an eye on the things I was supposed to.

  "Is everything alright, Your Highness?" Hannah asked.

  She was still gaunt from her time spent in questioning. It hadn't even been that long, but it seemed to have affected her greatly. I'd gotten her released as soon as I'd risen from bed, but she'd only just returned to her duties as my maid after requesting some time off to spend with her family.

  "Yes, thank you. Are you alright?" I asked, worried for her health. The last thing I needed was a maid who hated me. It was a good way to end up dead.

  "I'm so sorry, Your Highness, I don't mean to be distracted..."

  "Hannah, it's not a problem," I said, cutting her off before she got herself too worked up. "I understand why you're feeling the way you are. I'm sorry you went through that."

  "I'm sorry that I didn't check the dress more thoroughly, if I had, maybe you wouldn't have ended up so sick." Her wide eyes were full of regret.

  "You have nothing to be sorry for," I assured her. "You'd only been a lady's maid for a matter of days, you had no way of knowing that there was anything wrong with that dress until the moment I collapsed. And once I did, you got help. I should be thanking you for saving my life." That might be a stretch in the reality of things, but it was what she needed to hear right now, and that was what I needed to give her.

  "Thank you, Your Highness." She fell to her knees.

  Discomfort wormed its way through me. I hated it when people acted this way. There was no way I could keep this up with all the people in the kingdom, it would exhaust me in a matter of days.

  "Your Highness, Your Highness!" a messenger called, saving me from the awkward situation I'd found myself in.

  I indicated to Hannah that she could rise even as I turned to the messenger. He sounded panicked, and that wouldn't be the case unless there was a good reason.

  "What's happened?" I asked, bad scenario after bad scenario running through my head. Had Brutus been captured? Or Jonathan injured during a training session? He'd taken it upon himself to start teaching the men some of the moves he'd been taught in his own kingdom, something I was incredibly grateful for.

  "There's a spy from the palace in the cabin. Your presence is needed," the messenger told me.

  "Thank you, I'll make my way there now. Why don't you take some rest and refreshments from one of the campfires," I dismissed him, both of us knowing my question wasn't a real one.

  "I'll make sure everything is tidy in your tent, Your Highness," Hannah promised, before running off in that direction.

  Now alone, I strode towards the cabin, hoping that the others were already assembled. I didn't want to wait for them in order to hear what the spy had to say.

  I breathed a sigh of relief when I entered the cabin to find I was the last one to arrive. Jonathan, who had somehow made his way into the army's inner circle without me doing anything, came straight over to me and pressed a mug of tea into my hand.

  "Thank you." It warmed my hands and I enjoyed it for a moment before turning my attention to where it needed to go. "What's going on?" I asked the spy.

  "I've just come from the palace," he started, a little unnecessarily. "What do you know of a Duke
Travers?" he asked.

  I stopped moving, and Jonathan sucked in a breath beside me. Duke Travers was bad news. If he was part of why the spy was here, then it wasn't good news.

  "He sent a messenger to us about a month ago, and I've been sending him messages ever since. He doesn't respond to anything," I said.

  Brutus looked as if he was ready to hunt down the Duke and murder him.

  "I'm afraid the Duke is dead," the spy said.

  "Dead?" I echoed, unable to fully believe what I was hearing. "What happened to him?"

  "Everything is very hushed at the moment," the spy said. "I'm sure I'll be able to find out more when I return to the palace. But it's being said that he attacked the visiting prince in an attempt to start a war, but the prince killed him."

  I exchanged a glance with Jonathan, suddenly glad that we'd chosen to keep his identity a secret.

  "What's happened to the prince?" I asked.

  "Nothing, as far as I can tell. He's been spending a lot of time with the queen and it doesn't seem like he'll be punished at all," the spy said.

  That was good news. It meant that Jonathan's name wouldn't be sullied. I could have fixed it once I regained the throne anyway, but that wasn't the point. With the way things were going, I needed to keep his name clear so that people will accept him as a consort.

  I paused for a moment, shock flowing through me. I was already thinking about him as my prince consort? When had that happened? I pushed the thought away. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about this.

  "Is there anything else to report?" I asked before dismissing him. Yet another change from the princess I used to be. In the past, I'd have dismissed him already.

  He shook his head. "Nothing of note. A lot of the nobles from the kingdom have arrived at the palace for the ball, but it's impossible to tell what any of them are thinking."

  I nodded. That sounded like the nobles I used to know. There were alliances throughout the court, but most people kept them under wraps for fear of something damaging them.

  "Thank you for your time," I said. "Please take all the rest and refreshment you need before heading back to the palace."

  "Thank you, Your Highness." He dipped his head and then slipped out of the building, leaving me alone with the people whose opinions I trusted the most.

  "What do we do now?" Rita asked. "If people are trying to start a war on your behalf..."

  "Then we need to do something to stop it. Make it known that we don't condone that kind of behaviour." It was the only way I could see of getting the nobility back in line.

  I looked up, meeting Jonathan's eyes. His idea of a fealty type ceremony was looking more and more appealing by the moment. I nodded to him. I wanted him to make the suggestion, that way he'd seem like a more suitable match than he did already.

  "What about a ceremony where people can swear their loyalty to you?" he suggested.

  "I think that's a good idea," I said immediately.

  Brutus' shock was evident on his face, but I chose to not say anything about it. This was my kingdom, and my crown. When I said I wanted to do something, it was ultimately final. Though that didn't mean I wouldn't listen to advice. Sometimes, the mere idea of being royal was exhausting. I wasn't sure how anyone in the past had managed to cope long enough to have a child to pass the crown along to. I supposed there was no one to ask about how they managed. My family was all gone, with only Katya remaining, and she wasn't exactly the best choice to talk to about all of this.

  "Send out a summons," I said to Brutus. "Be careful in the wording. This isn't an invitation. I expect the people we call upon to attend."

  "Of course, Your Highness." He dipped his head.

  I turned to Rita. "There's an abandoned ruin half a day's ride from here. Please have it prepared for the ceremony." It was close enough that it was easy for us to get to, but not to give away our real location. It was still a risk. Anyone could give my location to Katya in the hopes of gaining some kind of favour, but that was a risk I was going to have to take.

  "Yes, Your Highness," she responded, the expression on her face clearly suggesting she was running through all of the things she needed to do in order to get it ready.

  "We need scouts in position immediately. If the area is compromised, then we'll have to withdraw to a new location, but I'd rather know in advance."

  Brutus nodded. It was hard to miss the glint of pride in his eyes. He'd been urging me to step into this role since the beginning, I was certain he was relieved I was finally stepping fully into the role.

  "What happens if any of the nobles refuse to attend?" Jonathan asked.

  "At this point, nothing," I admitted. "Katya's rule is too complete and I can't ask them to defy her if they're not ready to. They'll be given a chance to swear again once I take the throne and if they choose not to, that's when we'll do something about it."

  He smiled at me, silently showing his support without saying anything. I appreciated that. He truly did have the makings of a good prince consort. And if it wasn't me he ended up with, then it would be some other princess, one who I'd grow to hate in time.

  I'd better stop that from becoming a reality.

  Chapter 12

  The wind rippled the flags that had been put out over the top of the ruined wall. Sapphire darted and dived between them, enjoying the freedom of stretching her wings. She couldn't sit with me during the ceremony, but that didn't mean she wasn't close. I tried not to focus on the fact it was my emblem on them and instead paced back and forth.

  "You're going to wear a hole in the floor if you're not careful," Jonathan said, amusement dancing behind his words but not quite coming through them.

  "I can't help it. What if no one shows?" It was my greatest fear about doing this ceremony. Normally, when these things happened, they were in a palace and a throne room. I had neither. I was just a displaced princess standing in a ruined castle.

  "They're going to show," he assured me. "They'd be crazy not to. Everyone will have heard about the rebellion, and if they know what's good for them, they'll show their support."

  "Hmm." I wasn't sure I completely agreed with him. Probably because I wasn't all that comfortable with the whole situation still. I didn't want to be here demanding something from the nobles.

  "Deep breaths, Lucia. You look beautiful," he assured me.

  "I don't need to look beautiful, I need to look like a queen," I pointed out.

  "Believe me, you do. Any man who didn't follow you would be a fool."

  "If you keep showering me with compliments, then I'm going to start thinking you're after something," I quipped.

  He chuckled. "The only thing I'm after is you." He took my hand in his and lifted it to his mouth, pressing a chaste kiss there.

  Tingles spread through me, but I ignored them. Now wasn't the time for me to act on it. That could be saved for later.

  "Your Highness, Prince Jonathan, the nobles have arrived," Brutus said, popping his head around the side of the building we were using for privacy.

  "Thank you, we'll be out in a moment," I responded.

  I smoothed down my dress and felt for the circlet, checking that it was still firmly in place.

  "Are you sure you want me to walk you in?" he asked.

  I nodded. "I want them to get used to seeing you."

  A knowing smile spread over his face, but neither of us said anything about it. We both knew what it meant and that was enough for now. I knew I wouldn't be able to avoid dealing with the status of our relationship forever.

  "Shall we?" He held out his arm.

  I slipped my own through his and rested my hand there. It felt right. Which hopefully meant that it looked just as good to the people who'd no doubt be gathered to see me.

  If anyone had showed up.

  No. I couldn't think like that. Brutus had said everyone was waiting for me, which meant that there were people here.

  Trumpets began to sound, which was our cue to walk in. I should have been su
rprised at all of the official things we'd managed to find, more and more people were defecting to our side every day, which came with all the perks of having them.

  I took a deep breath as I walked in. I didn't lift my gown from the floor, even if I wanted to. It was a light peach colour and would end up with a scuffed hem as a result of walking on the bare ground, but there was nothing I could do about that. It was more important that I acted the way a queen would than saving a gown.

  Whispers started all around me, something else I'd expected. A lot of the nobles assembled wouldn't have seen me for years. This was their chance to see that I was alive and well, and that I was ready to take my place on the throne. I was almost certain that several of them were here for that reason alone and no other.

  We reached the front of the assembled people where a small throne had been set up. I gulped loudly at the sight of it, even if it wasn't the throne, it was symbolic, and sitting on it would signal the end of an era of ignorance.

  "All rise for the True Queen, Lucia," Brutus called out, his normal gruff voice booming through the noise of the people.

  As one, the nobles rose.

  I tried not to shake, but didn't think I did a good job of hiding my nerves.

  "You've got this," Jonathan assured me too quietly for anyone else to hear me.

  "Thank you." I pulled away from him, as we'd practised and walked up to the throne. I stood in front of it, waiting for a moment for everyone else to get into position.

  Jonathan took a couple of steps back and stood behind the throne. If anyone was paying attention to him, then they'd likely realise he was important to me. But for the most part, I suspected a lot of them would just look past him.

  "Please, be seated," I called out. I counted to three in my head as they all did so. It was more important than ever that I acted like a queen. "I've gathered you all here today in order for you to swear your fealty to me, the true Queen of this Kingdom. While I ask for your loyalty, know that I would never expect you to do anything that endangers your own lives. You are free to interact with the imposter's court as much as you have to in order for your families to survive."